


A Touch of Sadness

by merry_amelie



Series: Academic Arcadia [99]
Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Genre: Alternate Reality, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-04-03
Updated: 2007-04-03
Packaged: 2018-02-07 17:44:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1908054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merry_amelie/pseuds/merry_amelie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unsettling touch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Touch of Sadness

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback: Is treasured at merryamelie@aol.com (or leave a comment).
> 
> Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
> 
> For  
> My beta team: Nerowill, Emila-Wan, and Carol  
> Mali Wane for posting  
> My former betas: Alex and Ula

A pint of Guinness straight from the tap. Just what Ian needed to relax after an uncharacteristically unpleasant practice session at the gym. Coach Rance sat opposite him in their booth at Gaughan's, attempting to review that very session with him.  
  
Ian tried to focus on Otto's comments, but was still unsettled by the unexpected training glitch. He'd been coaching high bar, and working on a new routine with one of the freshmen, Derek Vedder. Everything had gone well -- Ian's run-through, Derek's visualization -- until Ian had lifted him to the bar.  
  
Derek had frozen under his fingers.  
  
Too well-trained to drop him, Ian made sure Derek's hands were securely on the bar before letting go. Such a thing had never happened in all his years in the gym.  
  
Instantly, his mind had supplied the reason for the freeze -- Derek was uncomfortable with Ian touching him. A thoroughly misplaced pang of shame swept through him. He had upset a student.  
  
A lifelong gymnast, Ian was used to the sweaty camaraderie of the gym, from the pile of puppies in elementary school to the back pats and group hugs in college, innocuous all. Training students required a hands-on approach, the way he himself had been taught.  
  
He thought miserably that if Rance had coached Derek this evening, there wouldn't have been any problem. Otto had photos of his wife and kids in his office, and his granddaughter was one of their biggest boosters at meets.  
  
Wearily, Ian considered juggling practices so Rance could take over Derek's training. Staring sightlessly into his stout, he didn't hear Otto repeating his name. "Huh?" he asked astutely, after the third repetition of "Ian."  
  
"Boy, were you far away! Not gonna get any more work done tonight." Otto put a few bills on the table.  
  
His flush mercifully invisible in the low light, Ian sighed. "Sorry, Otto. Hard day. Let's try again tomorrow."  
  
Otto clapped him on the shoulder as he rose to leave. "Sounds like a plan. Get a good night's sleep, hear me?"  
  
"Thanks, Otto." As he took out his keys, Ian noticed that even the little shamrock looked dull tonight. Probably the lighting, he mused half-heartedly.  
  
Hoping Quinn was home from the library, Ian concentrated on the road, and the prospect of his husband's welcoming embrace. The lights were on when he pulled in the driveway, just the warm glow he'd longed to see.  
  
Quinn heard the door, and walked out of his office to greet Ian. He must have seen something in his husband's eyes because his kiss was exquisitely gentle. "Hard day?" he asked, folding Ian into his arms.  
  
Ian snorted humorlessly. Hearing Quinn unconsciously echo his own words to Otto emphasized just how hard his day had been. "You could say that," he drawled sardonically.  
  
Quinn urged him towards the couch, big hand gentle on his lower back. "Want to talk about it?" Ian's head unerringly made for his lap, and he petted the copper hair he'd kissed that morning. Ian's reply was incomprehensible, spoken as it was into Quinn's shirt.  
  
They stayed there just like that for a long time, Quinn's hands running through molten copper, Ian pressing into Quinn's stomach.  
  
Ian's words started softly, almost inaudible even in the quiet living room. "One of the kids froze when I lifted him to the bar tonight."  
  
Quinn's fingers automatically tightened on Ian's hair, until his lad's surprised "whuh" had him releasing the strands. "Oh, laddie." The gym had always been one of Ian's sanctuaries, a place he'd had no worries, no fears of prejudice. And now this subtle tensing would cause tension Ian had never felt before.  
  
Ian burrowed into Quinn, relieved to feel strong arms close around him. "Shouldn't be so surprised. This isn't the first time we've had to deal with something like this." An occasional student had dropped a course for unspecified reasons in the four semesters they'd been married.  
  
"But it's the first time in the gym." Quinn's hand eased under Ian's shirt to stroke his back.  
  
"Guess it was inevitable sooner or later." Ian relaxed under Quinn's hand.  
  
"I think it was. The kids just coming in must be surprised by us. Some of them don't know how to react." Quinn kept up his caresses, heartened by Ian gradually melting into him.  
  
"Love you," said Ian on a yawn.  
  
"Love you, laddie." Quinn smiled. Sleep was winning the battle with sorrow, just as he'd hoped. He pulled Ian even closer, and they drifted off to sleep.  
  
Tomorrow would bring its own wisdom to them both. 


End file.
